I Am Here Tonight
by VikingOccupationalHazard
Summary: Agnes is awakened one night by a frighteningly harsh thunderstorm and turns to the one person she knows will scare her fears away. Gru has to learn how to comfort his scared daughter. Goes to the song: Lullaby for a Stormy Night by Vienna Teng. ONE SHOT


**A.N. - **Okay so this is my first Despicable Me story, so please be gentle. :D After seeing the movie, I really couldn't help myself. I just had to, plus I really hadn't had the chance to write a character that was younger then 16. So I loved writing Agnes' character, I also kind of had a hard time with Grus' accent so tell me if I did something wrong. I'd really appreciate the feedback!

Thanks in advance and Enjoy!

**Lullaby for a Stormy Night  
**

The lightening cracked and lit up the small room for a split second before the loud thunderous boom rattled the windows and awoke the small raven-haired girl with a start. Big brown eyes shot open with fear, and clung to her big fluffy unicorn for comfort. Squeezing her eyes shut she burrowed her self deeper into her covers as another crash of thunder shook the already frightened girl.

"M…Margo?" Her little voice called out to her eldest sister that was on her left. Silence was what she got in response. Whimpering she peeked out from under the safety of her covers to look at her second eldest sister.

"E..Edith? Awe you…u..up?"

A soft snore was what she got in return. Shaking as another boom shook the window. She squeezed her eyes shut, snuggling into the back of her unicorn. Fear grasping at her, and tears started to roll down her cheeks. She didn't want to wake her sisters, so she decided to go to the only person she knew would protect her.

Bravely…but a little timidly, she crawled out of the comfort of her bed, hugging her unicorn and she toddled over to the door and pulled it the rest of the way open. Her big, brown fear-filled eyes took in the shadows that seemed to creep out of every corner of the hallway. Whimpering she hugged the doll closer and slowly started walking toward the one place, she knew she'd be safe.

A bright flash of lightening lit up the house before a heavy boom rattled her poor little eardrums. Giving a light shriek, she curled up in the hall, tears streaming down her face and falling on the back on her toy.

"D…daddy…" She let out the softest whimpers; she was so scared she couldn't pull herself from the fetal position that she was in. Remembering the shadows all around her and the loud booming coming from outside while the wind howling outside caused the tree branches to scratch against the windows like the claws of a monster trying to get in.

"Daddy!"

He knew he had heard someone calling, but the terrified shriek of one of his daughters pleading for him set his heart into his throat. Launching himself out of bed he flew out of his room and into the hall, flicking the light on he found his youngest shaking curled up on the floor sobbing into her unicorn.

He felt his heart twist, at her fear filled sobs. Reaching down, he picked her shivering form and pulled her against him. Sobbing, she clung onto his nightshirt and buried her face in his chest.

"Agnes, eet's all right. I am here now. Eet's all right."

"_Little child, be not afraid,_

_Though rain pounds harshly against the glass_

_Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger  
I am here tonight."_

"Th' loud booming sound woke me up…th…then…I…I…call f…for…Margo…but she was sleeping…an'…so…so was Edith…I try to…find you…b…but th…the scratchin' a..an..th'…loud…noise….an'…an th' dark…"

The poor girl was rattled she couldn't speak a straight sentence. Placing his hand gently behind the trembling child's head, the other wrapped securely around her. He'd had no experience in calming a scared child, probably because most his life he had been the one to cause it. No matter how many books he read, Gru was still at a loss on how to comfort the child, making him feel useless… and that upset him.

"Zere, zere…Agnes…eet'll be all right. I von't let anyzing happen. You are safe here."

Her big brown eyes and tear stained face gazed up at him; it always surprised him how she could melt his heart every time she looked up at him. She held that innocent, trusting look that he felt he didn't deserve to be cast upon him. Smiling softly, he took his thumb and wiped her tears away gently.

"Can I sleep with you…I don' wanna go back to my room…it's to scary."

"_Little child be not afraid,_

_Though thunder explodes and lightening flash,_

_Illuminates your tear-stained face_

_I am here tonight."_

"Umm, I'm sure zat your bed ees better zen mine. Besides, you sisters vill vonder vere you are and…"

Her eyes started to water and her lip started tremble. His heart clenched again at that look. He couldn't really let her go back there could he? She had tried to walk to him. She needed comfort and she couldn't feel it if he was a couple rooms away. Sighing he knelt down and picked up her gigantic unicorn and carried her to his room.

Another flash of lightening and thunderous boom exploded outside like a bomb went off, causing the little girl to bury her face in his chest again. Pulling a whimper from her lips, he glared out the window as if his look could stop the storm in its tracks and make it be a calm night instead of this one. Maybe he could ask Dr. Nefario if he could whip something up that would prevent storms or at least a machine to dull the sound so that his children could sleep without being disturbed.

He'd have to ask tomorrow, but he had a frightened child to deal with now. Perhaps one night wouldn't hurt, so quietly making his way to his room he climbed into his bed and lay her next to him. Sniffling she still clung to him, every night she held the fear that this was just her imagination and she was back at Miss Hattie's Home for Girls with nothing but her toy and covers to provide comfort. Snuggling into his chest, she listened to his steady heartbeat, trying to let it drown out the loud thunder, harsh rain, and howling wind.

His hand gently patted her back, and held her close. "Eet's all right Agnes. I von't let anyzing get you."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Why does it do this…make loud and scary noises?"

"Well…" He didn't really know how to explain to her how nature works in terms she'd understand. He was good at explaining things but when it came to a girl no older then four years old. Big words would just confuse her, this was frustrating, he racked his brain trying to think of away to explain it to her. Then an idea sprung and he gazed down at those inquiring brown eyes. "You know zat ven you are hungry, you need food right? Well ze rain ees like ze food for ze grass an' ze trees outside."

"But what about the big booms?"

"Ze big booms are like ze skies having a stomach ache, sometimes ze are harsh, sometimes not so much. All ze same, eet will pass."

Her brown eyes looked outside as the water slide down the window, blinking several times she looked back up at him. "So the rain is feeding the grass and the trees, and the sky is having a tummy ache?"

"Yes, vat is going on outside vill not hurt you, eet ees only temporary."

"_And someday you'll know,_

_That nature is so._

_The same rain that draws you near me,_

_Falls on rivers and land,_

_On forests and sand._

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning."_

Cuddling under his arm, she grabbed a hold of her unicorn and pouted. "Well I wish someone would give the sky some medicine because I'm ready for it to be better. Its tummy ache scares me."

He couldn't help but chuckle at her innocence. His blue eyes regarded her with affection. She believed what he said, and it seemed to quell her fear of the storms. Then he watched as she sat up, squirmed out of his arms, and scrambled down the steps of his bed.

"Vait, Agnes! Vere are you going?"

"I'm gonna go get the sky some med'cine so it'll feel better."

"Agnes, hold on." He hurried out if bed to follow the young girl as she toddled into the kitchen. Looking up at him as he entered the kitchen, she pointed to the cabinet where she knew the medicine was. "We have to make the sky feel better. I know you've got something in there to fix it."

Smiling softly down at her, he scooped her up in his arms and set her on the counter. "Agnes, ve don't have anyzing zat will cure ze sky."

"But…it helps me! Why won't it help the sky?"

"Well, um…You know how sometimes ze same medicine zat we take to make us feel better…is not ze same used for animals?"

"I guess…but the sky isn't an animal…is it?" She said fear rising in her eyes again as the wind howled and rain thudded against the roof outside.

"No! no, no, no eet's not animal! Eet's...um..." He searched his brain for an explanation and got frustrated when he was coming up blank. Her brown eyes peering at him in confusion and he could start to feel himself surrender to her will to give the sky some medicine.

"You're right Agnes…lets fix ze skies stomach ache."

A grin that always seemed to melt his heart spread across her face and reached those innocent brown eyes. Picking her up he maneuvered toward the cabinet, poured a small cup of stomachache medicine, handed it to the little girl, scooped her up, and pulled her to the window. Opening the window slightly so the rain wouldn't hit them, he positioned her so she would dump it outside.

"Here you go sky! Feel better soon!"

He couldn't stop the smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth at her actions. She peered at the sky, her brown eyes searching for something, her lower lip pouted at the lack of success.

"I don't see it…"

"See vat Agnes?"

"The moon…where did it go?"

"Well, ze moon is all tucked under ze clouds."

"Is the moon sick too?"

"No, ze moon is vat keeps the sky well. Wiz ze clouds covering eet up eet can not help ze sky."

"Oh, so the clouds are what make the sky sick?"

"Only ze dark ones. Ze vite ones mean zat eet's all better."

"Oh."

Her brown eyes gazed at the sky, as if she understood what it was going through.

"Feel better soon, and bring back the moon so it can help."

"_Little child, be not afraid._

_Though storm clouds mask your beloved moon,_

_And its candle light beams, still keep pleasant dreams_

_I am here tonight." _

"All right Agnes. Eet's time for bed." Scooping her up in his arms, he swiftly closed the window and made his way back to his room. Sleep tugging at the corners of his eyes, and forced him into a yawn. Laying Agnes, then himself down on the bed, he gazed at the clock it blinked 3:45 AM at him. Groaning he flopped backed on his pillow and threw his arm over his eyes.

It was silent aside from the slight howling of the wind, pattering of the rain and slight rumbles of thunder. It was enough, however, to almost lull him into a light sleep, until a pull on his shirt and small voice pierced over the other noises.

"Daddy?"

"Yes Agnes?" Everything inside him begged the child to go to sleep, wondering what in the world could be wrong now. She was sleeping in his bed; she had given the sky medicine to cure its ailment…that should have been enough to comfort her…right?

"I think something is scratching against the wall…trying to get in…"

He opened his eyes and listened for what the little girl was talking about, and sure enough, there it was, a slight ticking almost scratching sound tapping against his window and side panels. Sighing, he pulled himself from the comfortable position he was in to go and check the window.

Pulling the blinds back, he saw that it was nothing more then a tree branch that was being blown and buffeted by the wind forcing it to tap against the house. Running his hand down his face, he closed the blinds and moved back over to the bed, to his raven-haired daughter who was hugging her unicorn again in fear.

"Zat ees no'zing more zen ze tree."

"The tree? Trees don't scratch like that!"

"Yes, I know zat Agnes, but vith ze wind blowing like zat, eet swings ze branches back and forth like eet does to your hair. Zat ees vat causes eet to scrape against ze house. Just branches, zat ees all."

Looking at the window, she snuggled close to her father as he lay back down next to her. Closing her eyes, she listened to his steady heartbeat and calm breathing. A feeling of safety and warmth surrounded her. A smile formed on her face, as she knew she was safe being near him, she knew he would protect her.

"I love you."

She whispered against his chest. Those words chased away all the irritation that he'd felt and replaced it with a feeling that he was becoming accustomed to, love. The innocence and truthfulness of those words touched him like the first time Margo first said them to him. What surprised him more is that he had said it back; the words had felt new, but right coming from him.

"I love you too." Kissing the top of her forehead, he rested his hand on her back, holding her in a protective grip. "And I vill alvays be here."

"_Little child, be not afraid._

_Though wind makes creatures of our trees,_

_And their branches to hands, they're not real, understand_

_And I am here tonight." _

He held her until she was asleep in his arms. Soft snores emitted from her as she faded off, finally, into a restful sleep. A flash drew his eyes away from his slumbering daughter toward the raging storm outside. It seemed like only a short time ago that he himself was in her position. It was strange how the smallest things triggered his memory.

A little boy around the age of four had been awakened by the loud thunder that seemed to rock the house. Shaking he launched himself out of his bed and out of his room. The flashing lightening lighting up his frightened face as he made his way to his parents' room, quietly opening the door he carefully moved his way over to their bed.

Clenching his blanket in one tiny fist, he tugged on the blankets with the other.

"Dad…" His voice spoke meekly, trying to wake his father with out disturbing his mother. A slight shift and a then his dad sat up and peered down at his young son. Running his fingers through his tousled brown hair, his green eyes softly took in his the frightened look on his son's face as another crack of thunder rattled the windows.

Not needing any more explanation, he immediately scooped his son up into his arms, held him tightly against his chest, and gently patted his back.

"Eet's okay son…I'm here. I'm here. Shhhh…No more tears huh?" He slowly started to walk out of his room and toward his sons' room.

"Can I sleep wiz you and mom dad? I do not like eet in my room."

"Hey now, listen here son. Zere is no'zing to be afraid of. Ze sky eez jus' letting off some steam…you know like you mo'zer does when she's angry."

The young boy nodded as his father sat him down on his bed, and pulled the covers around his shoulders. "Vell, eet ees ze same zing. As long as you leave eet alone, eet vill pass and you'll see zat eet ees still just as beautiful outside as eet was ven you vent to bed."

"Eet vill pass?"

"Yes, and eet can not hurt you inside zese walls. Ze are sturdy and vill hold up against the harshness of ze wind."

Laying down his head, he nuzzled into his pillow as his father sat beside him and started to softly sing a lullaby in Russian. It was what drowned out the storm and what slowly lulled him into sleep.

"_For you know, once even I was a_

_Little child, and I was afraid._

_But a gentle someone always came_

_To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears_

_And to give a kiss goodnight."_

A sudden shift at his side brought him back to the present. The soft hum of the lullaby still resounding in his mind and as Agnes started to stir he soft started to sing the soothing song his father sang all those years ago.

He was not a singer, of that he was sure, but that didn't stop him from singing the song to quiet his daughters anxiety. She never really woke up, but her shifting slowly stopped as the song was sung. The soothing sound of her fathers' voice calming the fear that wanted to wake her.

His eyes slowly started to close against his will. Leaning his head against the pillow he let sleep take him finally to sleep. His daughter wrapped tightly in his arms, her light snores softly faded away along with the sounds of the storm. Knowing that it will be gone in the morning, this was a lesson from a memory of a man who he barely had any recollection of at all. Still he couldn't help but feel grateful…at least he knew he was doing it right.

"_Well now I am grown,_

_And these years have shown_

_That rain's apart of how life goes._

_But it's dark and it's late_

_So I'll hold you and wait_

'_til your frightened eyes do close." _

Opening her eyes, she slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Then the memory hit her.

"The sky…" Hastily pushing the covers off she toddled down the steps and ran to the window. Climbing up she pulled the blinds back to reveal the sun shining brightly in a cloudless sky. A grin fell on her face that spread ear to ear.

"It worked…I have to tell daddy!" She then bound over to her still slumbering father so she could tell him the good news.

He was awakened suddenly by an incessant bouncing on his bed. Shift sleepily in his bed he carefully opened his blue eyes to meet the most excited awake brown eyes he'd ever seen.

"It worked daddy! The med'cine worked!"

"Vat…? Medicine? Vat are you talking about?"

"'member last night? When the sky had a tummy ache?"

He tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes and slowly remembered about everything that happened last night. Inwardly he groaned, he'd been hoping that was all a dream.

"Yes Agnes I remember, vat about eet?"

The beaming smile on her face could have sent the sun running in shame, tugging at his night shirt she pulled him excitedly and bounced down the stairs and toward the window that she had opened to check on the sky.

"Well the med'cine worked! See?" She happily pointed her little finger out the window at the bright sunny day that rested just beyond the window. "Isn't it the best thing you've ever seen?"

He looked down at his proud daughter that seemed to be beaming brighter then the sun, and even though he was still tired it still put a smile on his face to see her so happy.

"Yes, eet ees." He put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, "You did a good job Agnes. Vhy don't you tell your sisters." Her eyes lit up at the thought of telling her sisters what she accomplished.

"I wonder if they're up!" She pried her self from the window and bound out of his room. He smiled after his youngest daughter, her joy and cheerfulness was enough to make him smile even when he was feeling at his worst. All she had to do was smile up at him with those big brown eyes and he was thankful for her…for all of them. They gave him back what he had thought he'd lost all those years ago.

"_And I hope that you know,_

_That nature is so._

_The same rain that draws you near me,_

_Falls on rivers and land,_

_On forests and sand._

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning."_

After getting himself together, he wondered downstairs and found his daughters in the living room watching TV. Upon seeing, him Agnes and Edith both jumped up and hugged his leg.

"Morning dad!"

"Hey daddy!"

"Good morning gurls!"

"I'm hungry, what's for breakfast?"

"Yeah breakfast!"

"How 'bout panckaes huh? Sound good?"

"Yeah that sounds awesome! Can I have mine shaped like a rocket this time?"

"I'll see vat I can do Edith."

"Cool."

"Can I have a unicorn?"

"Of course."

"Yippie!"

Both of them ran to the table, with Margo coming in behind them. His eyes fell on his eldest daughter. She'd been unusually quiet, he began to wonder if she was ill. Placing a caring hand on her shoulder, his worried eyes met hers.

"Are you okay Margo? Ees some'zing wrong?"

A smile broke out over her face, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. This caught him off guard.

"Yes everything is fine!" She pulled away and beamed up at him in away that made him smile. "What you did for Agnes…means a lot to her…and to me. I'm glad you're our father." That made him smile and touched him to hear Margo say that to him. It meant more then she'd ever know.

"Of course, I'd do eet for any one of you gurls."

"I know…dad." She reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek before bounding off to where he sisters were waiting. Straightening up, he gazed at the three girls who had changed his entire view of the world.

"_Everything's fine in the morning."_

After making pancakes, he set the table and enjoyed pancakes with his family. He knew because of them his days were filled with a lot more sunshine. They seemed to be the sun that chased the storm clouds of yesterday away.

"_The rain will be gone in the morning."_

He didn't mind that a majority of his day was spent laughing and being with his girls, rather then be down in the darkness of his lab trying to take whatever he could find to fill the emptiness that he couldn't seem to fill, so making other people feel bad made him feel better about himself.

Margo, Edith and Agnes were more the pleased to wake up each and everyday to a person who they knew loved them, and was willing to do anything to protect them, even give up his dream for them. It still amazed Margo how they seemed to form a family, no it wasn't the family she'd pictured, it was better. Edith was just happy to have someone to turn to when she felt she had no one else who understood. She couldn't talk to Margo, because she was to authoritative, and Agnes was to little to understand…her adoptive father was just the person she needed. As for Agnes, she just loved everything about the situation. She had a father, she had her sisters, and she had home. What more could they want?

The one thing that went unspoken was that they would be there for each other, from the brightest days, to the harshest storms.

"_But I'll still be here in the morning."_


End file.
